Mike Miello already had experience coaching on the college level at his alma mater, the University of Rhode Island, but the high school ranks were where he always has seemed to be drawn back to.

In 1967 the legendary Hackensack coach Tom Della Torre convinced Miello to return to the high school where he had starred as a quarterback before graduating in 1962.

After all, eventually becoming the Comets’ head coach when Della Torre left coaching seemed a natural progression for the then young mentor on the rise.

It’s now a long time since becoming a 25-year-old head football coach in 1970 at Hackensack, and following several different stints as a coach and athletic director, Miello is now immersed in another new challenge as the interim athletic director at Montclair High where he will be coordinating Mountie sports moving forward toward the fall season. He could perhaps carry over his duties well into the start of the autumn campaign depending on the time frame of whenever a new, permanent athletic director is selected and able to step into the post.

“I love high school sports and I have so much respect for the rich history and success of the Montclair High School athletic programs that this opportunity was something that was very appealing to me,” said Miello, who was the head football coach at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes for 22 seasons, winning four playoff championships.

“(Retired Montclair assistant principal in charge of athletics) John Porcelli, who I have known for many years, told a mutual friend about the interim position being available at Montclair and then I called John before reaching out to (interim) schools superintendent Barbara Peslak to express my interest in the job.

“I’m very fortunate that the previous athletic director, Jeff Gannon, and his administrative assistant Kim Covello are so well organized and everything is in very good order as we get ready for the fall season.”

The popular Gannon, who had served as Porcelli’s right-hand man before assuming the AD position at MHS for the last three years, was not rehired for the position as has been reassigned within the school system.

Miello said that the Board of Education would post the opening for the athletic director position following its Monday, July 10th meeting. Then the screening process can begin. However, even if a new AD is hired this summer there is a 60-day period in which a person coming from another school district must wait before moving on to a new position.

For an example, just last fall, Caldwell High School brought in retired AD Rich SanFilippo to direct the Chiefs sports programs on an interim basis and then hired assistant football coach Dan Romano as its new, permanent AD. Romano, who was an assistant principal in the Essex County Vo-Tech system at Bloomfield Tech, had to wait 60 days until late October before assuming his new post at Caldwell.

The same could happen at MHS, depending on the circumstances of the person hired as the Mounties new AD, which means that Miello could wind up being at MHS well into the heart of the 2017 fall season.

“It all depends on who they offer the job to and if the 60-days applies to that person,” said Miello. “I’m not concerned about how long I’m going to be here. I look at this as a job that I currently have and it has to be done in the right way every day.

“It’s the same as when I meet all the fall coaches. I expect them all to be accountable as they always are, and continue to do the job they always do in the same manner regardless of who the athletic director is.

“The Montclair student-athletes deserve the best possible experience that we can provide them and I plan to do my best to ensure that happens no matter how long I’m in this position.”

Making sure that medical physicals for prospective fall athletes go smoothly, transportation schedules for teams and officials for games are lined up, and that coaches and athletes have all that they need to begin their upcoming pre-season practices, are normal summer chores for an AD and his staff.

This is not the first interim AD stint for Miello, who has stepped into a temporary role in guiding high school athletic programs at Ramapo, where he had been the permanent AD before; Fair Lawn, the Wayne school district (encompassing both Wayne Hills and Wayne Valley), and Watchung Hills.

In addition to his 22 seasons as the head football coach at Ramapo, he was also the head man at Hackensack in two different stints, first for six seasons (1970-75) and later from 2010-2013, winning a sectional playoff title.

He also was then the 11th head football coach at William Paterson University for three seasons.

In 28 seasons as a head high school football coach, Miello amassed 208 victories with 132 losses and three ties while copping five playoff crowns.

He also worked as an assistant coach on former Ramapo player Greg Schiano’s staff at Rutgers during the latter’s reign (2001-2011) with the Scarlet Knights and he had been an assistant college coach for a season each at both Columbia University and Rhode Island.

Miello coached such noted Ramapo High School players as former University of Texas and NFL quarterback Chris Simms, Schiano and former Rutgers AD Tim Pernetti, who were both also standout scholastic players for the Green Raiders.

“I’ve had a great deal of enjoyment in coaching so many terrific people and players, and I have been fortunate to work in a number of different situations as both a coach and athletic director,” said Miello, who resides in River Edge. “Montclair is another terrific place to work and I’m excited to be able to do what I can to make sure things run smoothly heading into the busy fall season.”